And henry b



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E.B. OOXE, Decd. l A.v B. & H. B. GoXE, Executms.

ART 0F AND APPARATUS FUR GONTROLLINt-rv OPERATION 0F TRAVELING GRATB FURNAGES.

(No Model l 3 'sheetssheet 2.4 E. B.Y'C0XB,Dec'd. A. B; & H. B. COKE. Executors.

. ART 015; AND APPARATUS TUR ONTROLLING OPERATIUN 0F TRAVE'LING GRATE FURNAGES.

Patented Juvne 16, 1896..

Fig'. ff.

Witnesses: l

Q5 .lezandef Unie, 'Henry Unze,

Eckley. Cafe, fmfzzo-emed.

Elevators of Estate of- (No Model.) 1 v3 sheetssheu 3 E. B. COKE, DeGd..

' AyB; & H. B.. CoxE, Execucolfs.` l

ART O AND APPARATUS FOR GUN'TROLLIING OPERATION OF TRAVBLING GRATE PURNAGBS.

No.562,o68. Patentedaune 15 lQ6. Figui l By their flujos-neg,

UNITED STA- TES PATENT @Einen I ALEXANDER 'BL -COKE, on DRIrToN', PENNSYLVANIA, AND HENRY n. ooX'E,

oF `NEW YORK, N. Y., EXEoUToRs or nonni-iris.

ART or AND APPARATUS ma, c'oNfTRoLuNe 'snncIF'IcA'rIoN forming pm f Letters Applicant ined Laundry 21,1896

To all whom zitj'nzlay concerne e it known 4that ECKLEY- B. COXE,-'deceased, late a`l citizen ofthe United States, -resldm g in Drifton, -inthe 'county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania-,invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Art of and Apparatus-for Controlling the Operationof Traveling-Grate Furnaces,- of which theI Vfol- United sta-tes lowing is a specification.4 i

Thisinvention relates in part to that class of furnacesdeseribed in Letters Patent of the No. l$599,716, dated June 20,

" 1,893, in which ca fuel-traveling-grate mechlongitudinally of the furnace-chamber, and

grate is, thereof along" the vigfurnace-chamber, subjected anism is employed for imparting a normally continuonsly-advanein g movement to the fuel in Which-tiret el spread in a layerupon the during lthe advancing movement to air-blasts of varying eicieneies or vpresv sures at successive points, respectively, in

' 4prove 4the length of the' furnace-chamber, andin which the .fuel upon-the grate is maintained 'substantially fm statu quoduring the suc.-

cessve stages of the combustion period. lThe invention .further relates to the art or method of deearbonizing 'and burning car- I- l 'bonaceous materials upon a disseminative'bed 'or layer-oi relatively non-carbonaceous materia-l, and this part of. the present invention is, in some respects, inthe nature of anjiment .uponthe method described vand claimed in Letters Patent of the United StatesI Nd-199,715, dated June 20,' 1393, to which reference may be had.

In largesteaniplants,sueh as the power plants ot' electric-lighting stations and the plants of other industrial establishments,

Where large and variable amounts of power arerequired, itis'frequently necessary to effect a reduction in the generation of steam for along@` Orshorter peri-od of time, accordingto requirement, and where traveling-grate fnrnaces uch as' described in the Letters Patent hereinbefore referred to, are' employed this reduction in steam generation is usually y effected by stopping the traveling movement of, the fuel-,carrying grate and reducingor -fcutting ofi the air-blast from below,

the fuel coXE, 'DEoEAsEnoPERAnoN .otTRAvnme-GRATE ruRNActs'.

Patent No. 562,068, dated June' 16,1996.l

. sminamento. (Numan.)

medlate operation.- This method of temporarily reducing the efficiency of the furnace without undue wasteot -fuel might be satis- -factory it" it'were not for the fact that the heat naturally confined by reducingor cutceous layer upon the non-carbonaceous layer.

`nish an improved method and instrumentalityv whereby progressively advanced, and is subjected,dur ing the advancing movement thereoffto an air-blast from below, and whereby amotecrtaterial is introduced between the carbonac lous layer and air-blastduring the advancing movement of said carbonaceou's layer, and is advanced in synchronism with said carbonaceous llayer and during the deearbonupon the non-carbonaeeus layer, and whereinay be arbitrarily retarded.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved furnace of the class speci,- ie'd and an improved met od whereby the ignited fuel, spread in'a lay ing grate, will have anormally-continuous adber, will be subjected to an air-blast from beqao during the successive stages of decarboni'zation or during the successive stages of the combustion period, and whereby the decarbonized fuel residuum lmay be arbitrarily introduced'in a'layer of predetermined thickness between the rate and the fuel upon'the upon the gratebeingkept burning only for `grate duringv the travelingmovement thereof A further object of 'the invention isl to fur' 7o the Vmass of carbonaceous material is spread in a layer, is ignited andl by the advancing movement o f sairwo layers f' 'maintaining the furnace in readiness for im-' ting ot'rthe air-blast has a tendency to reverberate through the vfuel lying dormant f tive layer of non-,carbonaceous disseminative izing and burning of said carbonaceons layer y r upon the travelvancing movement along the furnace-chamlow, and be maintained substantially in stata" TOO to separate the fuel from and prevent the overheating of the grate, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

In the dra-wings accompanying and forming part of this specification, Figurel l is a sectional side elevation of a portion of the forward end of -a traveling-grate furnace embodying the present improvements, said figure showing a protective layer of material interposed between the layer of fuel and the traveling grate, Fig. 2 is a front end elevation of the furnace, parts of the grate-actuating mechanism being broken off. Fig. Sis a sectional plan view of thatend of the furnace shown in Fig. 1, the grate-protecting layer and fuel not being shown. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the furnace, taken indotted line u a, Fig. l, and looking` toward the right hand in said figure, the grateprotecting layer ofmaterial and the fuel not being shown. tional side views illustrating four successive steps in the operation of introducing a layer of protective material between the grate (which, in these figures, is only represented in outline) and the fuel, Fig. 5 showing the protective layers extended but a short distance under the forward'end of the fuel, Fig. (i showing the protective layers ext-ended about midway of the left of the layer of fuel, Fig. 7 showing the protective layer extended nearly to the end of the layer of fuel, and liig. 8 showin g the protective layer as having been cut olf and a portion of the forward end of the fuel layer as resting upon the grate.

Similar characters of reference designate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

ln the drawings` only so much of a boilerheating furnace is shown as is necessary for illustrating the construction and mode of operation of the improvements and as is necessaly'1 for illustrating the method or art of controlling the operation of furnaces in accordance with this presentinvention.

According to the process described and claimed in the Patent No. 499,715, hereinbefore referred to, it will be remembered that a fuel-travelin g fu rnace-lloor or endless grate was employed for carrying the fuel with a normallycontinuous advancing movement throughout the furnace-chamber, and that 1hecarbonace-ous material orfuel to be burned was, according to that process, first deposited in a mass or layer at proper distance upon the furnace-floor, then ignited, and-during the advancing movement thereof subjected to air-blasts from below of successively-reduced pressures, either continuously or inierln ittentl'ygat successi vepoints in the length 'of the traveling movement thereof, and, furthermore, that the layer of fuel was maintained substantially in statu que throughoutthe successive stages ot' its traveling movement, and to avoid prolixityin the description ol the present invention it is here desired to state that this method oi' the operation l the furnace may cfmsstently apply, part, to the Figs, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are sec-v fina unav

be similar to the furnace shown and described l in the Patent No. 499,716, hereinbefore re` ferred to, it being understood, however, that the mechanical iustrumentalities are applicable to other forms 0f traveling-grate furnaces within the scope and limits of the present invention.

The furnace `herein shown has the usual furnace-chamber C, which will be inelosed in the usual manner by suitable side and end Walls, and will be provided with a suitable roof. At the forward end of the furnace this is shown provided with two supply-hoppers Il and ll', whose discharge ends are in close proximity to and in direct communication with the upper run of the traveling grate,

one of said hoppers, as Il, constituting the fuel-supply hopper and being located between the other hopper and the front end wall of the furnace-chamber, and the other hopper, as II', constituting a protective-layersupply hopper for introducing a layer of noncombustible material between the upper run of the grate and the fuel, as will be herein- ,after more fully described.

The floor ofthe furnace consists of the upper run lO of an endless traveling grate, (designated in a general Way by G,) which is carried upon suitable grate-carrying wheels or chain-wheels that are supported upon shafts 13 and 15, journaled in suitable bearings on the framework or side walls of the structure. This endless grate may be of the same general construction as the traveling grate described in Letters latent No. 515,656, dated January .37, 1894.

As in the Patents Nos. 499,715and 490,716, herenbefore referred to, the furnace is shown in the present instance (see Figs. 1 and 4) having a series of air-blast chambers located below and having the outlets contiguous to the fuel-carrying run or upper run 10 of the endless grate, only a portion of three of said air-blast chambers being herein shown, which are designated by a, b, and e, respectively. 'lhese chambers preferably have communication with one another through valve-regulated openings e in'their ,separating-partitions and will usually be supplied with air from a suitable blower, (not shown,) having an air-conduit S in` communication with one of said chambers,l as will be A"understood b ya reference to Figs. l, 2, and 4 of the drawings. The method of supplying air at varying pressures or at successively reduced pres- -sures at successive points in the length of the fuel-carrying run of the grate may be YSe IOO

IlO

substantially the same as the nicthodhereinbefore described in connection with Patent No. 499,715. l

lVhen a furnace is operating to its fullest capacity, the fuel is fed directly upon each section of the grate or before this reaches the ash or decarbonized residuum is delivered ber C2.

over to the rearward end of the grate into suitable ash-pit, (not showm) which may constitutea part of the grate-rnechanism cham- In practice the combustion goes on at one stage or another throughout the ent-ire length of the furnace-chamber or 'throughout the entire length of vthe fuel-supporting run of the grate, the ignition of the fuel taking place within a short distance of the pointA where said fuel fallsupon the grate and said fuel being-completely reduced rto ash by the time it reaches the rearward end of the grate or the last combustion arca of the furnace-v chamber.

For the purposes of `'the present invention and as one'instrunientality for carrying outthe method herein describedl the furnace is perimposed layers arbitrarily,

. termed the main hopper or the ply hopper, and the hopper II', which is in` shown provided at ,the forward end'thereof with two adjacent supply-hoppers l'I 'and II',

-whose dischargeends are set contiguous to each other and which are constructed and organized to deliver their respective materials directly upon the grate alternately or in suas will be hereinafter more fully described.

The hopper Il, which is intended for supplying the carbonaceous material or fuel to the grate, may for convenience be herein fuelsup tended for supplying the decarbonaceous or non-combustible protective 'material to chef grate, may for convenience be herein' termed the auxiliary hopper or protective-mai terial-supply hopper.

In the preferred form thereof herein shown and described the two hoppers II and Il', which, as a unitary structure, may be herein referred to as the duplex-hopper7 apparatus, comprises the two side walls 2O and 20', the vertically-disposed transverse front end wall 2l, the transverse rear end wall 22, and the transverse 'dividin g partition or wall 23, located approximately midway between the two end walls 21 and 22, anddividing the :The side walls space between thevtwo said end'walls into two compartments4 which constitute the two hoppers Il and Il' pro/per.

21, and the intermediate-wall 23 are vshown structurally integral, and furnished withside flanges 245, 2i', and 2i", which form a .means for att-aching the duplex hopper to the end wall of the ,furnace vand to the framework F of the grate-mechanism chamber.:l

| Il and Il', respectively, vided with adjusting devices,

y y 'away and 20', the front end wall The two hoppers H and H are open at their 3 lower ends, and the two Walls 22 and 23 thereof terminate above the horizontal plane ofthe lower edges of the side walls `of said hopper, as will be understood by reference to Fig. 1 'of the drawings, which lower edge of the side walls of the hopper terminate in planes coinciding substantially with the horizon tal plale ofthe fuel-supporting face of the upper run of the traveling grate.

Each hopper H and H is furnished with a vertically-adjustable part adapted for coaeting with the upper run of the traveling grate,

which upper run, in this instance, constitutes a traveling ioor for the two hoppers Ito con.- trol the space between the upper run of the traveling grate and said adjustable part and toregulate the thicknesses of the respective layers'of material during the advancing movement of said upper run. These adjustable parts are shown independently adjustable toward and'awayfrom the upper run of the traveling grate'and have a slight adjustment toward and away from 'one another, owing to the inclination of one of them relatively to the other.

In the form thereof 'herein shown andv de- 'scribedthe adjustable pai-teef the supple-` mental hopper H are in the natuie'of a sliding gate- 25, supported between ways in jimtaposition tothe front face of the intermedi ate partition 23, which wall of said hopper H', as well as the front wall of the hopper H, andthe adjustable parts of thehopperH are shownas'the rear wall 22 'of said hopper, which rear Wallwill be guided in its adjustments preferably by 'a ixtureupon the side walls of the hopper.

constitutes the rear IOO As a means for independently adjusting the adjustable parts 22 and 25 of the two hoppers saidparts are proignated by K and K', respectively, the one K being shown 'as a bolt 26, fixed to the part 22,

and having the upper screw-threaded end thereof extended through a bearing 26', secured to the front endiwall of the furnacechamber C, a screw-threaded end of the bolt being furnished with an adjusting-nut 26, by means of Which the part- 22 may be adjusted toward and away from the upper run of the traveling grate, andthe adjusting de-4 vice K-is shown as a rod 27, fixed to the adjustable part 25, I l threaded end thereof' extended through a bearing27', fixed tothe upper end of the partition 23, the upper serewfthreaded end of said rodbei'ng shown furnished withjmhandlenut 27S' for adjusting the part 25 toward and fromthe upper run 10 of the grate. In the present .instance the ignitionblock or wall usually employed in furnaces of this class and located b tween the discharge end of the fuel-supplyuiopperaud the' upper run ofthe fuel-traveli grate is dispensedwith which are desand having the upper screw-.

and .the rear fuel-supporting wall 22V of theof the front fac of the front end wall of the furnace.

The adjustable hopper-wall 22 is shown in the nature of an oblong relatively narrow box closed at the upper end and open at the lower end thereof to form a protecting air-space 29 between the front fuel-supportin g wall thereof and the front wall of the furnace-chamber C, and, as an additional protection against overheating, the box-like wall 22 of the hopper IIis furnished with a reverberatory wall `or partition 30, of relatively non-heat-.con-

ducting material, which is located between the box-like wall 21 and the forward end of .the furnace-chamber, and which is constructed and organized relatively to the wall 22 for adjustment towardand away from the fuelsupporting run of the grate in connection with said wall 22, and is adapted for deflecting the products of combustion at the ignition end of the furnace-chamber C and for preventing in a great measure the overheat- ,ing of the air contained in the protective airspace 29, and consequently prevents the overheating of the fuel contained in the hopper. As a means for cutting off the supply from the supplemental hopper II said hopper is furnished with a sliding eut-off gate 31, which extends horizontally 'through an opening formed in the front wall 2l of said hopper and has the outer end thereof shiftably supported in the slide'way 32, secured to the upper side of the grate-mechanism frame F, and ,4

as a convenient means for moving the cut-off gate inwardl y and outwardly relatively to the hopper 'I, an adjusting device K2 is provided, which, in the form thereof herein shown, cousists of an adjusting-screw 33, fixed to the outer end of said gate and having its screwthrcaded outer end seated in a bearing Si., sccured t0 said framework F, the outer screwthreaded end of said adjusting-screw being furnished with a handle-nut, by means of which the screw 33, together with the cut-off gate, may be moved inwardly and outwardly relatively to the hopper II.

It is desired to state in the above conuec tion that the specific construction and organization of the parts of the duplex hopper and associated parts may be variously modified within the scope and limits of the present invention.

XV hen the furnace is in operat' Jn, the main hopper ll is kept constantly supplied with the carbonaeeous material, such as coal or other fuel, and the supplemental hopper Il is kept constantly supplied with non-carbonaeeous or non-combustible material, such as ash or the decarbonized residuuin of the fuel contained in the main hopper II after the same has `passed through the successive stages of the combustion period.,

In the ordinary operation of the furnace the cut-olf gate Slwill be in its closed position, Ycutting olf the supply of non-carbonaeeous material from thc grate, and the fuel i from the main hopper H will be fed directly upper run of said grate.

upon the grate, as illustrated in Fig. S of the drawings.

Then it is desired to reduce the heating efficiency of the furnace 4or slow down the grate, the cut-ofi' gate 3l will open to the position shown in l1`ig. 5, allowing the non-earof non-carbonaeeous material interposed between the fuel and the grate. A further advancing movement of the traveling grate carries the superimposed layers of carbonaeeous vand noli-carbonaeeous materia-ls successive] y to the positions shown in Figs. (i and 7, respectively, and after the entire layer r/ of fuel upon the grate is separated from said graie by the non-carbonaeeous protective layer y' the movement of the grate may be slowed down or stopped without fear of the heat from the fuel layer g overheating and injuring the Although it `is preferable to employ ashes as a protective medium, it will be obvious that any suitable non-combustible or nonheat-conducting material might be eniploycd in lieu thereof.

3y the construction and organization of apparatus herein shown and described'for carrying out tlupresent improved method the carbonaeeous material or fuel may be dcposited dirent ly upon the grate independently of the noncarbonaeeous material, and the thickness ol the layer so depositedniay beincreased or ill-creased at will, and a protective layer of nou-carbonaeeous material of any requisite thickness nay be arbitrarily introduced between the layer of fuel and the grate to protect the grate from undue heat arising from the burning fuel.'

llaving thus described the invention of ECKLEY l5. ,(OXE, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

IOO

'ITO

l. 4That in iprovement in the art of treating materials; subjecting said superimposed lay- ITS ers to an air-blast at successively different points; and burning and decarbonizing the carbonaeeous layer. l

2. That improvement in the art of treating,` matter, which consists in first igniting a mass of carbonaeeous material spread in a layer; successively subjectin g portions of said layer to the action of an air-blast; introducing a protective layer of non-carbonaeeous material between the ignited carbonaeeous material and the air-blast; feeding the two 'layers 1n synchronism; reta rdin g the movement of said` layers; and subsequentl vreadvancing them while under the action oi' the air-blast; and, finally, stopping the supply of non-carbonaleeous material. l

3. That imprm'ement in the arl. of decalbonizing and burning carbonaceous material,

which consists in igniting a mass of carbonaceous material spread in a layer of predetermined thickness; advancing said layer, and subjecting successive portions in the length thereof to an air-blast; reducing the normal thickness of the carbonaceous layer; and reducing the effective action of the air-blast upon said carbonaceous layer by the introduction of a layer of nf -`.-carbonaceous, disseminative material of predetermined thickness between the carbonaceous layer and the air-blast, and simultaneously advancing both layers. f

4. That improvement in the art of decarbonizing and burning carbonaceous' materials, which consists in 'spreading a'mass of carbonaceous material in a layer of predetermined thickness,and igniting the same sub-A jectin g successive portions of said layer to an air-blast, successively, while advancing said layer with relation to said air-blast; maintaining said burning layer substantiallyn statu quo during the successive stages of the combustion period; reducing the normal thick: ness of the burning, carbonaceous layer, and separating the same from' the air-blast by the introduction of a layer of non-carbonaceous material between the'carbonaceous layer and air-blast during the advancing movement of said carbonaceous layer. y

5. That improvement in the art of decarbonizing and burning .carbonaceous materials, which consists in'spreading a mass of carbonaceous material in a layer of predetermined thickness, and igniting the same;.sub jccting the carbonaceous layer to air-blasts of successivelyreduced pressures at successive points in the length thereof while advancing said layer with respect to the successive air-blasts; maintaining the layer substantiallym statu quo during the successive stages of the combustion period; and subsequently reducing the normal thickness of the carbonaceous layer, and reducing the normal, effective action of the air-blasts by the introduction of a layer of non-carbonaceous ma;

. tcrial of predeterminedthickness between the carbonaceous layer and the air-blasts during the advancing movement of the two layers.

G. In. a furnace of the class specified, the combination with the furnace-chamber and with the traveling grate; of two supply-hop? ing an adjustable part; and means for adjusting said parts toward and away from the traveling grate.

7. In a furnace of the class specified, the combination with a furnace-chamber and a traveling grate; of two supply-hoppers located in advance of the front wall of the turnace-chaniber and in advance of one another, and with their discharge ends in juxtaposi- -tion vto the traveling grate, and each having an adjustable part, and one of which parts directly adjoins the front wall'of the furnacechamberyand means for independently adjusting said parts.

- 8. In a furnace of the class speciiied, the combination with the furnace-chamber and the fuel-traveling grate; of two supply-lieppers supported, one in advance of the other,

.at the forward end of the furnace-chamber,

and having anv air-space between thc front end wall of the furnace-chamber and thc next adjacent supply-hopper.

9. In a furnace of the class specified, thctheir discharge ends in juxtaposition to the. 'traveling grate; two adjustably-supportcd parts, one of which is hollow and is located to constitute a cut-oit for the supply-opening in the front wall of the furnace-chamber, and the other of which is located to constitute a cut-od for the-.discharge-opening of the foremost supply-hopper; and independent means for adjusting said parts.

l0." In a furnace of the class speciiied,vthe combination with the furnace-chambenland with the fuel-traveling grate; of two supply hoppers located, one in advance of the other. with their discharge ends in juxtaposition to the grate; and one of said hoppers having a box-like adjustable rear wall adjoining the front wall of the furnace-chamber, and the other of said hoppers having a cut-oil? gate, which is adjustable in a plane substantially parallel tothe plane of the fuelcarrying run of the grate; and means for adjusting the boro like wall and fthe cut-off gate in yplaces subadjacent to the front end wall of the furnacechamber; a rigid, intermediate wall having a gate adjustably connected therewith; a horizontally -disposed cut-off gate extending through the frontend walls; and means for moving said horizontally-disposed gate inwardly and outwardly relatively to the hopper.

ALEXR. B. COXE, HENRY B. COXE,

` Execuors of the siate of Eckley B. Ooe, de-

ceased. 

